In response to all kinds of new information products being developed, especially the wide popularity of personal computers, more and more users become more critical with respect to the convenience in using them. For increasing data transfer speed of peripherals, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) has been developed by Intel Corp. PCI has become the widely used bus in its respective market. This means that other low speed buses (e.g., ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), etc.) are replaced gradually by PCI in the computer market.
Currently, a PCI adapter card is mounted on a motherboard of computer. In short, PCI adapter cards are dominant in the market. For a typical ATX type motherboard, five (5) or more expansion slots for PCI are provided thereon. Conventionally, the higher the number of expansion slots on the motherboard the more powerful of the expansion capability of computer. In this regard, all major computer and/or electronics companies continuously make efforts to develop and/or improve expansion slots and adapter cards in order to meet consumer demand. To the contrary, arrangements for fastening the adapter cards at a computer case are rarely improved.
A conventional arrangement of fastening adapter cards 20 at a computer case 10 is shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, an input/output (IO) port positioning frame 11 is provided on a rear panel of the case 10. The frame 11 comprises a plurality of elongate, parallel openings 12 corresponding to a plurality of expansion slots 13 on a motherboard inside the case 10, and a plurality of holes 14 each between two adjacent openings 12. Also, each of the adapter cards 20 is adapted to insert into a corresponding expansion slot 13. The rectangular adapter card 20 comprises a connector (not shown) at one side and a metal bracket 21 at one end. One end of the bracket 21 is bent about 90 degrees to form a connecting piece 22 having an indentation 23. In assembly, insert the connector of the adapter card 20 into the expansion slot 13 with the bracket 21 of the adapter card 20 rested on and covered a corresponding opening 12. Also, the connecting piece 22 is urged against a side of the frame 11. As to the opening 12 corresponding to the expansion slot 13 without insertion of the adapter card 20, a metal plate 40 can be placed thereon for covering. One end of the plate 40 is also bent about 90 degrees to form a connecting piece 41 having an indentation 42. By configuring as above, a screw 50 can be driven through the indentations 23 and 42 and the hole 14 to fasten the adapter card 20 or the plate 40 on the opening 12 of the frame 11.
However, the prior technique of fastening the adapter card 20 by means of the screw 50 has disadvantages of being time consuming and being tedious in assembly and use, and inconvenience in operation. Thus, it is understood that if no effective fastening means is provided more inconvenience and trouble may be brought to users in replacing a malfunctioned adapter card 20 or installing a new one in the expansion slot. Consequently, users may complaint more about fastening adapter cards 20 during installation. This can discourage users to buy new adapter cards 20. As a result, adapter card 20 market will be hardly hit. In another point of view, for keeping up with the needs of the vast computer assembly market computer manufacturing companies not only have to maintain product quality but also have to increase the assembly speed in which an increase of assembly speed in the assembly line, particularly a fastening of adapter cards 20, plays an important role in increasing computer assembly speed. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.